Patch Candidate Profile: Suad Said For ISD 191 School Board

BURNSVILLE, MN — This fall, Burnsville and Eagan residents will vote in a special election for a school board member for ISD 191.

Suad (Sue) Said is a candidate running for School Board in the Nov. 2 election.

The position that Said is running for was formerly held by Jen Holwege. Said is temporarily holding the position.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Age (as of Election Day): 34

Position Sought: ISD 191 School Board Member

Family: My Husband and 4 intelligent, strong girls ages 1-14 years old

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No

Education: BA in Social Work and A.A.S in Business Administration

Occupation: State of MN - Department of Employment and Economic Development

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Interim School Board Member since Jan 2021

Campaign website: https://fb.me/Suad2020

Why are you seeking elective office?:

I’m passionate about giving back, equitable public education and being part of my community. I feel I can help connect certain bridges that can benefit our district to succeed. This position would also allow me to draw from my own experiences going to school in this district and now having my own children attending school here. Although this district has evolved and changed over the years in a positive way, there’s still more work to be done in an education system built to serve a certain group of students, and those students are not the majority in many of our schools anymore.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it:

The biggest challenge right now is Covid-19 and making sure our children, educators, and community members are safe, healthy, and understand what our plan is to safely start the school year.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?:

I believe with all my heart that it takes a village to raise a child and our community is more ready than ever before to implement changes and have those tough conversations about equity and inclusion in our education system. I want voters to know that I will always have time to listen to and support the needs of our children, families, and educators. It is crucially I work side by side with community members who are passionate about education while understanding the importance of cultural awareness for our district to prosper. Let’s get to work on blazing a trail.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency):

(Didn't answer)

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?:

Right now I believe we know so much about this virus and how mitigation can be done. This allowed us to safely start the school year and letting the data drive our decisions from there.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Another issue that has been discussed over the years and I believe continues to make a huge impact is student enrollment numbers which continues to effect funding. We have to rethink our approach to education by partnering with families and community members.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?:

In the midst of Covid, many challenging issues were presented to districts that we didn't really have a blueprint for. So, the endless and long nights of board meeting to tackle these issues is something that showed my commitment to being a school board member. Also, being involved in our district's policy committee allowed me to look at some of our long held policies under the equity lens, making sure it works for all students and families.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Hard work and change comes about by collaboration.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?:

For almost a year, I have been doing all the tasks of being on the school board as an interim to make sure our district is meeting the educational needs of our students and provide equitable education and support to all families.